Dispensing device



March 3, 1942. F. H. MALoNEY l DISPENSING DEVICE Filed Sept. 29, 1938 INVENTOR FEA/wr A( /VuovvfyA BY V277 ATToRNl-s' Patented Mar. 3, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENTy OFFICE DISPEN SING DEVICE Frank H. Maloney, Elmhurst, Long Island, N. Y.,

assigner to Brass Goods Manufacturing Co.,

Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application September 29, 1938, Serial No. 232,327 11- Claims. (.Cl. 221-85) This invention relates to a bottle stopper and more particularly to a stopper provided withl It is an object ofthe "to providea* as a few dropsfshaving lotion and similar:

lo the invention is not limited to dispensing liquids be used with equal facility liquid in smallicontrolled dispenser embodying the invention attached tov the top thereof Fig. 2 is a sectional 'view on line 2-2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view through the central portion of the dispenser taken on line 3--3 oi' Fien-2;

Fig. 4 is a 4 4 of Fis.

sectional view taken through line 2 and showing certain features of the supplytube and lower valve of the dispenser an L I Fig. 5 is a sectional view showing the cap portionlof the dispenser as applied to the neck of bottle or other container stopperwith an improved device within thebody 'of the` stopper whereby liquid may be delivered therefrom under the control of the pressure of a thumb or finger thereon. i i

Another object ofthe invention is to provide a device for dispensingliquid from a closed container with a simple means whereby air is admitted to the container simultaneously with the delivery of liquid therefrom.

Another object of the a device of the type characterized which may be used to deliver liquid in drops or in a small stream and in different quantities.

A still further object is to provide a liquid dispenser adapted for easy attachment to the top of a container and having valves as component parts thereof which are located above the level of the liquid in the container.

A still further object is to provide a dispensing device with a depending valve portion and a discharge tube which are separatable from a main lstopper portion during shipment of the device and the bottle of liquid it is designed to dispense, so that the main stopper portion may be utilized to seal the bottle in cooperation with a 'sealing gasket interposed between the top of the bottle and the stopper.

to scribed which is simple and rugged in construction, inexpensive to certain in operation.

For a better understanding of the invention reference is made to the accompanying drawing in which the same reference characters are used to designate corresponding parts in the dierent figures.

Fig. l is a front view of a bottle having a liquid A further cognate object of the' invention is invention is to provideV provide a dispensing device of the class dej i ameter as shown at s s same and to retain the bali manufacture and durable and ably provided with a threaded portion `at the upper end `oi neck i0 of the a bottle to form a tight closure therefor.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2. the dispensing device S is shown attached to the neck portion i0 of a bottle B containing a liquid T which it is desired to dispense in small, controlled amounts. The dispensing device S is preferably made in upper and lower sections U and L respectively, which are separable from each other for a purpose to be later described. The upper portion U comprises a cap member il of substantially cylindrical shape and is hollowed out interiorly tcprovide a fiat surface Il" and a downwardlyextending annular skirt portion i2, the upper end of skirt portion I2 being prefer- I3 adapted to screw onto the threaded portion i4 provided bottle. An opening i5 is provided in the upper end of cap member Ii which is undercut as shown at i6 to engage an outwardly extending flange i1 provided at the lower end of a hollow deformable lip i8 whose upper surface is preferably convex, as shown. Lip il is formed of a resilient, flexible material such as rubber and is hollow to provide a chamber I9 which is in with the liquid T through a bore 20 formed in cap member ii. `Cap il is also provided with a bore 2i whose lower portion is. of smaller di- 22 to provide a shoulder portion 2l which serves as a valve seat for a ball valve, a depending retaining member 2l being fitted in the .upper end of bore 2i' to seal the 24 within the bore for limited movement therein. Cap member Ii is also provided with a horizontal bore 26 which communicates with bore 2i, as shown, and in which may be freely inserted a tubular discharge member 2l whose end is preferably extended downwardly a short distance It will be seen that the ball retaining member 2l also serves as a stop to limit the end of tube of the upper portion of the bottle and the attached dispenser taken as shown at 28. t,

21 when it is properly in communication with bore or passage 2l.

The lower separable portion L of the dispensing unit is shown as comprising a flexible rubber tube 29 carrying at its upper end a tubular cylindrical lower valve member 3d whose lower end is turned inwardly as shown at 3l to provide a valve seat for a ball valve 32 and the sides of valve member 30 being deformed inwardly to provide opposed projections 33 which serve to retain ball valve 32 for limited motion within tubular member Sli. At its upper end member 30 is provided with a horizontally extending, thin flange 34 which is snugly seated in a recess 35 provided in an annular flexible rubber washer 36 whose upper surface engages the flat surface Il' of cap II and whose lower surface engages the upper surface of a metal washer 3l which is provided with a series of radially extending corrugations 3B, the lips or lowest points of which are held in engagement with the upper end surface 39 of the neck II'I of the bottle. The purpose of corrugations 38 is to provide passage for admitting air into the interior of the bottle, as the liquid T is dispensed therefrom.

The upper and lower units U and L of the dispensing device are retained in properly assembled relation by inserting tube 29 into the bottle and turning cap member Il whose threads I3 engage the threads I4 of the bottle neck to advance the surface I I of cap member I I into firm engagement with washer 36. Upon depressing the lip I8 by a finger or thumb, some of the air within chamber I9 will pass down bore 20, raise ball 24 from its seat 23 and pass out tube 21. Upon lip I8 moving upwardly due to its resiliency, ball 24 engages its seat 23 to prevent the entrance of air through tube 21 and the atmospheric pressure within the bottle forces some of the liquid up tube 29, this liquid being replaced by air which enters between the threads I3 and I4 and between the corrugations 38. The depression of lip I8 is continued until the liquid lls tube 30 and is at the level of ball 26, ball valve 32 preventing the raised liquid from returning down tube 29. When the liquid, after the initial filling operation described, has reached the level of the bore of outlet tube 21, one or more drops or other small controlled amount of the liquid may be dispensed through the end 28 of tube 21 in accordance with the extent of depression of lip portion I8, the amount dispensed being under easy control of the operator. All parts of the dispensing unit are preferably made of material ywhich is chemically inert to the particular liquid being dispensed; for certain liquids it has been found that the rigid parts of the unit may suitably be made of metal while for other liquids, moulded plastic materials of suitable composition may be employed.

When shipping the dispensing unit with a bottle of liquid, the lower portion L and also the discharge tube 21 may be removed and packed in the same container as the bottle, for example, a cardboard carton. In order to retain the liquid during shipment and until it is desired to utilize it, the top of the bottle is sealed by a resilient washer 40 made of cork or other desired material and disposed between the upper edge portion 39 of the neck of the bottle and the flat surface II' of cap member I I, the cooperating threaded portions I3 and I4 of the cap and bottle respectively serving to hold washer 40 .in firm engagement with the end of the bottle.

I have described what I believe to be the best embodiments of my invention. I do not wish, however, to be conned to the embodiments shown, but what I desire to cover by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

l. A device for dispensing fluid comprising in combination, a cap member provided with two passages extending from its upper to its lower surfaces, a vertically arranged tube having its upper end in communication with said passages and its lower end immersed in the fluid. a valve arranged to permit the passage of uid upwards through one of said passages and to prevent the passage of fluid in the reverse direction, a horizontal discharge tube having its end in communication with said one passage, and a resilient member connected to said cap member above the level of the fluid and extending above the other of said passages whereby compression of said resilient member displaces a portion of the air contained in said other passage.

2. A device for dispensing iiuid comprising in combination, a cap member provided with an opening in its lower side and a passage extending from its upper to its lower surface, a valve seated in said opening, a vertically arranged tube having its upper end in communication with said passage and its lower end immersed in the liquid, a valve mounted in said tube and arranged to permit the upward passage of liquid therethrough but to prevent the passage of liquid in the reverse direction, and resilient means connected to the top of said cap member above said passage and adapted to displace the air contained in said passage.

3. The combination of cooperating elements as set forth in claim 2 in which the opening in the lower side of the cap member has a reduced lower portion to thereby provide a shouldered valve seat and in which the valve in said opening consists of a ball resting on the shouldered` valve seat and means for sealing the upper end of said opening.

4. A device for dispensing uid from a container having a vertically extending neck portion comprising in combination, a cap member provided with means for interlocking engagement with the container neck portion, a vertically arranged tube arranged to be supported by the container neck portion and having its lower end immersed in the fluid, an opening in the lower portion of said cap mem-ber and in communication with the upper end of said tube, a valve seated in said opening, means to prevent the passage of the fluid downwards through said tube and a flexible member secured to said cap member above the level of the fluid and arranged to reduce the air pressure in the upper portion of said tube whereby the fluid rises in the tube under the action of the atmospheric pressure.

5. A device for dispensing iiuid from a container having a vertically extending neck portion comprising in combination, a cap member provided with means for interlocking engagement with the container neck portion, a washer disposed between the lower surface of said cap member and the upper surface of the container neck portion, a vertically arranged tube having its upper end connected to said washer and its lower end immersed in the liquid, a valve member seated in said tube and arranged to prevent the passage of uid downwards therein, said cap member being provided with a discharge oriiice in communication with the upper end of said tube and a flexible member secured to said cap member and adapted to eject a controlled amount of the fluid from the discharge orifice in accordance with the extent to which the flexible member is deformed.

6. A device for dispensing duid from a container having an upwardly extending neck portion comprising in combination, a cap member provided with means for interlocking engagement with the container neck portion, a washer disposed between the lower surface of said cap member and the upper surface of the container neck portion, a flexible tube having its lower end immersed in the iiuid1 a tubular member secured to the upper end of said iiexible tube and provided with an outwardly extending ange whose edge portion is secured to said washer, a valve disposed in said tubular member, said cap member being provided with a discharge orifice disposed above said washer, and a exible member secured to said cap member and adapted to eject a controlled amount of the iluid from the discharge orice in accordance with the extent to which the iiexible member is deformed.

7. A device for dispensing iiuid from a container comprising in combination, a cap member provided with a discharge opening having a reduced lower end portion to provide a valve seat, a ball disposed in said opening and adapted to engage said valve seat, a solid closure member adapted to. retain said ball and disposed across the upper end of the discharge opening, a substantially horizontal discharge tube in communication with the discharge opening and whose inner end is adapted to contact said closure member and is limited thereby in movement towards the said discharge opening and means mounted on the top of said cap member for ejecting a controlled amount of the iluid from said discharge tube.

8. A device for dispensing uid from a container having an upwardly extending neck portion comprising in combination, a cap member provided with a discharge opening and screw means for interlocking engagement with the container neck portion, a flexible washer disposed between the lower surface of said cap member and the upper surface of the container, means mounted on said cap member for elevating a controlled amount of the 'fluid into said discharge opening and means for admitting air into said container disposed between said washer and the upper surface of the neck portion of the container.

9. The combination of cooperating elements as set forth in claim 8 in which the means for admitting air into the container comprises a washer provided with a plurality of radially disposed corrugations.

10. 'I'he combination of cooperating elements as set forth in claim 8 in which a thin solid washer is provided to replace said flexible washer said solid washer being adapted to be compressed between the lower surface of the cap member and the upper surface of the neck portion of the container and thereby seal the upper end of the container.

11. The combination of cooperating elements as set forth in claim 2 in which the upper end of the cap member is provided with an undercut groove and the resilient means is provided with an integral ange seated in said groove.

FRANK H. MALON EY. 

